The invention concerns a process and an apparatus for the preparation of photographic prints from disk shaped copy masters wherein the master disks are taken from a delivery magazine, measured, printed and then placed in a receiving magazine.
The printing devices of this type known heretofore usually operate with only two standardized double magazines, wherein one contains the master disks to be processed and the other receives the processed disks. These known devices only permit discontinuous printing, as both magazines must be replaced following the exhaustion of the stock of masters. Consequently, the printing operation must be interrupted, causing further system related operational disruptions, which are relatively frequent in the case of the high performance printing installations of today. These interruptions lead to the fact that high capacity printing installations cannot be fully utilized and the interruptions are therefore viewed as interferences.
It is the object of the invention to eliminate this disadvantage and in particular to improve a copying process and a printing apparatus of the above-defined type so that a practically continuous, uninterrupted printing process is possible.